Resolved My PowerMac G5, only two memory slots

[DedalusHQ]

Hi,

for those of you that can find this interesting, here it is a pic of my
PowerMac G5 1,6Ghz with only 2 RAM slots. I assumed that every model has four, could this be a pre-production sample?

 

[eyoungren]

Hi,

for those of you that can find this interesting, here it is a pic of my
PowerMac G5 1,6Ghz with only 2 RAM slots. I assumed that every model has four, could this be a pre-productioni sample?

Nope.

Notice the holes where it says "3" and "4"?

Someone ripped the RAM slots off the logicboard. Or desoldered them. Either way, you only have two ram slots because two slots have been taken off the logicboard.

 

[DedalusHQ]

Nope.

Notice the holes where it says "3" and "4"?

Someone ripped the RAM slots off the logicboard. Or desoldered them. Either way, you only have two ram slots because two slots have been taken off the logicboard.

Why someone should have done that?

 

[eyoungren]

Why someone should have done that?

No idea why. But someone did. You are missing two soldered ram slots.

 

[ctmpkmlec4]

Nope.

Notice the holes where it says "3" and "4"?

Someone ripped the RAM slots off the logicboard. Or desoldered them. Either way, you only have two ram slots because two slots have been taken off the logicboard.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or serious. Defer back to your comment about written words having no tone.

You should have at least 4 RAM slots, two per bank. Let's see a panned-out pic of the logic board.

 

[DedalusHQ]

No idea why. But someone did. You are missing two soldered ram slots.

Okey, thanks... Got it.

 

[eyoungren]

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or serious. Defer back to your comment about written words having no tone.

You should have at least 4 RAM slots, two per bank. Let's see a panned-out pic of the logic board.

I was being serious. If you look there are a series of holes in a thin rectangular shape. Those are where the receptacles for the ram chip (whatever you want to call them) would be soldered to the logicboard.

Two of those holders are missing.

EDIT: I don't know if Apple ever made an education version of the G5 for schools or not, but if they did this may have been on purpose. I know there is a PowerMac G4 MDD that is the LAST model of G4 PM made that has only FW 400 and Apple did that because it's an education version they sold to schools.

Just a guess. The holes look too clean, so either it was intentionally made that way or someone professionally desoldered it.

 

[DedalusHQ]

In my defense, someone here told me that it was strange.

 

[eyoungren]

In my defense, someone here told me that it was strange.

It's not your fault.

 

[ctmpkmlec4]

I was being serious. If you look there are a series of holes in a thin rectangular shape. Those are where the receptacles for the ram chip (whatever you want to call them) would be soldered to the logicboard.

Two of those holders are missing.

EDIT: I don't know if Apple ever made an education version of the G5 for schools or not, but if they did this may have been on purpose. I know there is a PowerMac G4 MDD that is the LAST model of G4 PM made that has only FW 400 and Apple did that because it's an education version they sold to schools.

Just a guess. The holes look too clean, so either it was intentionally made that way or someone professionally desoldered it.

This model most likely came from Apple with only four total memory slots. I have a DP 2.0 that's the same. I think Apple omitted four slots from the base model G5s of certain generations. The RAM slots haven't been removed; they were never there.

 

[DeltaMac]

The single-processor G5s from that era, used only 4 memory slots, and, of course, one processor connector. Notice on the picture that ctmpkmlec4 provided. Holes present, but no connector installed, for both the memory slots, and 2nd (lower) processor position. Same basic circuit board, simply finished with more on-board connectors for the dual CPU models.

 

[Intell]

Slots 3 and 4 never had any ram slot soldered to them in the first picture. If they were removed, the holes wouldn't be as clean as they are. G5 memory has to be doubled, because of this, we are only seeing the lower of the two memory banks.

 

[bunnspecial]

The single-processor G5s from that era, used only 4 memory slots, and, of course, one processor connector. Notice on the picture that ctmpkmlec4 provided. Holes present, but no connector installed, for both the memory slots, and 2nd (lower) processor position. Same basic circuit board, simply finished with more on-board connectors for the dual CPU models.

There's an exception to the "single processor" rule-the first generation single 1.8ghz has 8 slots.

As said above, the lowest spec model of most generations has 4 slots, and the higher spec models have 8. For the first generation, the single 1.6 was the low end model.

And, to the OP-look further up the board. I can just about guarantee that the other two slots are there! There will also be memory in at least one of the slots, as the computer would not if the two sticks pictured were the only memory installed.

 

[DedalusHQ]

So, what could be the conclusion?
Is my G5 an uncommon model?

 

[bunnspecial]

So, what could be the conclusion?
Is my G5 an uncommon model?

Look at the bare logic board photo posted above...then look about two inches above the memory slots you've shown a photo of.

 

[DedalusHQ]

Okey, done.... and? :/

 

[bunnspecial]

Okey, done.... and? :/

Did you find the two additional memory slots?

 

[DeltaMac]

Okey, done.... and? :/

You can show us a picture of THAT area on your logic board, if you still don't see the other pair of slots.

 

[DedalusHQ]

I am quite sure that there are no other memory slots, however tomorrow I'll take a pic of the whole logic board. Sorry but english is not my native language!

 

[Altemose]

I am quite sure that there are no other memory slots, however tomorrow I'll take a pic of the whole logic board. Sorry but english is not my native language!

You could not fill the bottom banks only and have it boot. You would need RAM up top too! My June 2004 looks like this with two slots on the bottom and two up top.

 

[DedalusHQ]

You could not fill the bottom banks only and have it boot. You would need RAM up top too! My June 2004 looks like this with two slots on the bottom and two up top.

Okey, I'll take a look as soon as possible. This could explain why it refused to boot when I took away a memory stick.

 

[bunnspecial]

You can also click on -->About This Mac--->More info and then click on the field named "memory." This will show you all the available memory slots as well as what is installed in them. There should be 4 slots listed.

It's worth mentioning, however, that when doing this on a G5, slots will register in system profiler as "empty" unless the sticks are correctly paired. I have a pair of sticks or slots(I think slots) in my work G5 that are a bit wonky. Occasionally, when I boot it up after it having been off for a little while(over the weekend, and probably when I go back in after the new year) it will register only 6gb of RAM rather than the 10gb actually installed. Pulling and reseating the modules from the flaky slots will always get it to see all the RAM.

Here's a screen shot of this info page from the computer I'm currently using. This computer only has two slots-in computer with more slots, all will show up. (I'm hoping that the good folks in the Power PC forum will forgive me for posting from an Intel Mac)

 

[Hrududu]

Not that unusual. My iBook only has half a keyboard! Apple tends to omit parts of the computer you don't take pictures of.

 

[ctmpkmlec4]

Not that unusual. My iBook only has half a keyboard! Apple tends to omit parts of the computer you don't take pictures of.

That made me chuckle.

 

[DedalusHQ]

Not that unusual. My iBook only has half a keyboard! Apple tends to omit parts of the computer you don't take pictures of.

Very funny
I am new about Macs but I work with computers since a long time, I can recognize the various part of a mainboard. However, if Apple make unusual layouts it's easy to get fooled... Maybe those 'missing' slots are hidden by something else. I am gonna take a better look.